How to Prevent Razor Cuts From Wrecking Your Hair

To create cool cuts that are swingy and soft (or to fix layered cuts that have skewed blocky or pyramid-shaped), hairstylists often swap their scissors for a razor. In fact, "scissors are still more prevalent, but these days, more and more hairdressers are cutting with razors instead of shears," says hairstylist Nick Arrojo. "They're excellent tools for creating modern, low-maintenance hairstyles." Razors are especially useful for slicing kittenish ends or seamless layers. "I most enjoy using razors to create movement; to put more texture into a style; to thin out thick, bulky hair; to make awesome short, shaggy styles; and yes, to shape tapered edges with that modern jagged line and to fashion beautifully light and bouncy layers," says the owner of Arrojo hair salons and cosmetology school in New York City. Razor-cutting can have a major downside, though.

"Razoring can really wreck hair by causing split ends," says Shin An, owner of Shin hair salon in Santa Monica. "However, the sharper the blade, the less damage it does to the hair. This means that a brand-new blade is absolutely essential for razor cuts." But how are you supposed to know if your hairstylist swapped out the blade before you sat in the chair (especially if you've been shamelessly engrossed with the salon's copy of InTouch and not monitoring the stylist's every move)?

Take note of any dragging sensation—and speak up. "A new blade equals a supersharp cutting edge that slides easily through the hair without any friction or pulling," says hairstylist Paul Labrecque. That friction or pulling is what's producing split ends (which obviously defeats a big purpose of the haircut). "If you can feel tugging on the hair, then your stylist is probably using an old or dull blade," warns Shin. "Let him or her know that the blade's hurting you and ask them to switch it out for a new one immediately." (She also points out that most razor-cutting should happen while the client's hair is still wet: "There are stylists who are masters at dry-razoring, yes, but most don't have that skill level.")

There's also the issue of hygiene. "A new razor is crucial for precision cutting, and it's also far more sanitary," says Adam Broderick, owner of Adam Broderick hair salons and spas in Connecticut. "Hairstylists should never use the same blade as they used on the person before you," insists Labrecque, owner of Paul Labrecque hair salons and spas in New York City. "They should change the blade in front of you. We have hazardous waste containers at all of my salons, so our blades are properly disposed of." Broderick says that "a good practice is for the stylist to replace the blade in front of the client, then drop it into the disposal box that comes with the razors. If you don't see this happening, then verify with your stylist that the blade is new. Don't be shy—just ask!